Thursday, March 22, 2012

Takers, Tenants, Tippers, & Tithers

Regarding stewardship, most churches have four basic financial groups within their ranks.They are: Takers... Tenants... Tippers... and Tithers.

Takers are parasitic in nature, which is defined as:(1) An organism that feeds off a host body for nutrition, such as a tick or leech.(2) A person who receives support from another without providing any useful return; such as one who lives on the hospitality or charity of others.These people never give, they only take.They take everything they can.They are counterproductive to the cause of Christ.They are irresponsible, undependable, not credible, and lack moral authority.Takers refuse to give their time, talents, or financial supportto the very church they benefit from!They view the Church as a provider of entitlements.

Note: It’s important to point out that a taker is not someone who has a genuine need or a family that is in distress requiring assistance.

Tenants are non-monetary supporters of the church.They will give their time and talent, but not financial assistance.The tenant will volunteer and serve, but will not give any money to help underwrite the very ministry they serve in.The tenant can be rich or poor.A tenant can be a blessing to the church when someone is needed to help – just don’t expect them to give money… even if the electricity gets turned off.

Tippers are those people who give, but they give very little.Like eating out in a restaurant, the tipper gives a token amount to the church if the sermon is cooked up hot and is pleasing to the taste buds.They give only when the notion strikes them.They are not predictable in their giving; however they are a blessing when they do.Because of the lack of tithers in the church, tippers can be a real asset helping the church meet its financial obligations. Still, they are living beneath God's requirment.

Tithers.The tither is the person or family who takes 10% of their earnings (or increase) and gives it to their church without hesitation, regret, or coercion.They do this as an act of worship to God and dedication to their church.A tither is dependable; if they are absent from the services they will catch up. They will not let anything stand in their way of giving.

Tithers make the church work. Many of them give AND serve! They support their church financially, and on top of that donate their time, talents, and labor. They dig down deep into a sacrificial lifestyle of discipleship. They don't expect to be paid for their labor.They willingly volunteer and then give 10% of their money for the privilege of working for free! This is how they serve their Lord, and do so joyfully.

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This is my personal blog. I write about making disciples, the local church, the church I pastor, and other related topics. These entries are usually directed to the congregation I lead, hopefully exerting some measure of influence on them, as well as including them with information about the state of our church. In many ways, this is my second pulpit. My blog also includes personal information about myself and family – usually very transparent, and sometimes humorous. Hope you enjoy.